Starting a Nonprofit in D.C.: A Guide - Washington, D.C.

Starting a Nonprofit in D.C.: A Guide

July 2013

Table of Contents

What You Need to Know Before You Begin...........................................................................................4 Forming a Nonprofit Corporation Under D.C. Law................................................................................7 Obtaining Tax-Exempt Status.................................................................................................................12 Additional Resources..............................................................................................................................18

2

July 2013

Introduction

Starting a tax-exempt nonprofit organization can be both deeply rewarding and tremendously challenging. Many nonprofit founders are motivated by a desire to do good or to fulfill an important, unmet need in their community, and these goals provide the critical basis for any successful nonprofit. However, starting a tax-exempt nonprofit also requires attention to complex state and federal laws. To ensure that your organization starts with the proper legal foundation, it is important to take the right steps at the outset. This manual is intended to provide guidance to those interested in setting up tax-exempt nonprofit organizations in the District of Columbia and to help them navigate state and federal laws. PLEASE NOTE: This guide is provided solely for informational purposes and does not provide specific legal advice for any individual situation. Moreover, the information about the laws of the District of Columbia and the U.S. federal income tax laws contained in this guide are based upon the laws as of the date it published, and these laws may be repealed, revoked or modified, possibly retroactively. Any changes to D.C. law or the U.S. federal income tax laws may result in changes to the information contained in this guide. This guide should be used in conjunction with, and not as a substitute for, qualified legal and tax counsel. Only an attorney or other tax professional with knowledge of your particular situation can provide the assistance you need. You are urged to consult an attorney or other tax professional.

July 2013

3

July 2013

I. What You Need to Know Before You Begin

Before you begin the process of starting a nonprofit, it is important to consider whether your envisioned nonprofit will meet the key legal requirements to qualify as a tax-exempt organization.

This section will provide you with important information on how the federal government defines and categorizes tax-exempt organizations, and will give you guidance on other issues you need to consider as you get started.

What is a nonprofit organization?

? A nonprofit organization is an organization that does not operate for the purpose of generating profits for private individuals. It has no owners, partners or shareholders. It pays no dividends and distributes no profits to any person. A nonprofit may also qualify as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") but it is not required to do so. A nonprofit organization will not be tax-exempt unless it takes all of the steps necessary to obtain tax-exempt status from the IRS. A nonprofit organization can be a corporation, limited liability company, unincorporated association or trust.

What is a tax-exempt organization?

? Under Section 501 of the Code, certain organizations may qualify as exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c). These include civic organizations, trade unions, business leagues, mutual aid societies, social clubs, and employee benefit trusts.

What is a 501(c)(3) organization?

? Section 501(c)(3) provides tax-exempt status to organizations organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, to foster national or international amateur sports competition, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals ("exempt purposes"). o For more information on the categories above, see page 5.

4

July 2013

In addition to being exempt from federal income taxes, ?501(c)(3) organizations may be entitled to additional benefits. Contributions to a "qualifying" ?501(c)(3):

? are deductible by the donor as charitable contributions under Code section 170. In order to receive this additional tax benefit, ?501(c)(3) organizations must satisfy additional requirements. These requirements mandate that: o None of the organization's net earnings benefit any private shareholder or individual; o Lobbying or advocacy cannot be a "substantial" part of the organization's activities; o The organization cannot participate in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office; and o The organization cannot operate for the primary purpose of conducting a trade or business that is not related to its exempt purpose.

Qualifying organizations include an organization that meets the requirements of ?501(c)(3) and is created or organized in the U.S. or any U.S. possession or under the laws of the United States, any state, the District of Columbia or any U.S. possession.

? Before starting a nonprofit organization, you should determine if your organization can satisfy these additional requirements in order to be tax-exempt under ?501(c)(3). An organization that is primarily engaged in business activities that are not related to its exempt purpose, but that donates a limited amount of its profits to charity, will likely not qualify under ?501(c)(3).

What is meant by "religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, to foster national or international amateur sports competition, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals?"

? Religious: This category typically includes churches and organizations that are closely affiliated with churches. It can also include nondenominational ministries, interdenominational and ecumenical organizations, and other organizations whose primary purpose is the study or advancement of religion.

? Charitable: This category includes organizations that provide services or basic necessities to the poor, such as food, shelter, and medical care. It can also include groups that advance religion, education, or science; that erect or maintain public buildings or monuments; that lessen the burden of government; that lessen neighborhood tension; that combat community deterioration and juvenile delinquency; that seek to eliminate prejudice and discrimination; or that work to defend human and civil rights.

5

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download